Q&A With a Virtual Assistant

Q&A With a Virtual Assistant

When choosing to hire someone or work with someone, it’s natural to have concerns. That’s why we Google the services we’re after, check reviews and ask for recommendations. We want to make sure we’re getting the best service for our money, and that they’re going to deliver top-notch results.

It’s no different when you decide to work with a virtual assistant. You are trusting someone to do a job that directly affects your business, so it’s important to get your questions answered.

Here are some concerns that may cross your mind, and my answers, should you be considering working with me:

 

Question:

How do I know if hiring a virtual assistant is the right decision for my business?

Answer: If you’re spending too much time working on your business admin, then that takes time away from you growing your business and making your mark on the world. Assigning those tasks to someone like me frees up your time to do what you’ve set out to do at the onset of starting your business.

 

Concern:

Will a virtual assistant understand my business and the specific needs of my clients?

Response: By communicating your expectations clearly and early on, you’ve set the standard of what running your business looks like. Look for a virtual assistant with experience working with lifestyle coaches or similar businesses. Provide training and/or SOPs (standard operating procedures) so your VA knows what to do and how to do it.

 

Question:

How can I trust a virtual assistant to handle sensitive information and represent my brand professionally?

Answer: Good virtual assistants will treat your information as confidentially as they do their own. Consider NDAs, confidentiality agreements and data protection agreements (most virtual assistants have some form of these agreements in their contract information).

 

Concern:

What if the virtual assistant isn’t available when I need them or doesn’t meet deadlines?

Response: One of the key areas to address up front is availability and response times, not to mention methods of communication. The majority of VAs I know are very flexible, and it’s the number one reason they choose this profession. Be sure to clearly state deadlines well in advance on your tasks and projects, and there will be very little chance the deadline will be missed.

 

Question:

How do I ensure that the virtual assistant has the skills necessary to support my business effectively?

Answer: A consultation call is the first point of contact between you and a VA, and this is the time to explain your needs while keeping in mind it’s extremely rare to find a unicorn VA (a VA that does it all). Explain what services you require, and discuss skills and experience right at the beginning.

 

Concern:

Will hiring a virtual assistant be cost-effective for my business?

Response: If you hired an employee to work with you, you would need to cover the supply costs of an office, a desk, a computer system, breaks/lunches, medical benefits, vacations, etc. It’s true that VAs seemingly charge more than a traditional admin assistant working in an office, but consider the facts: they do not get health benefits, they pay for all their own equipment and workspace, there is no sick pay or paid breaks or lunches. Only you can decide which is really, truly more cost-effective for your business.

 

Question:

How can I ensure effective communication and collaboration with a virtual assistant?

Answer: Right from the start, it’s important to establish how you will communicate, how often and set up a schedule for face-to-face strategy calls (these are so important!) Be sure to provide feedback and guidance as needed so that you and your VA can always be on the same page.

 

Concern:

What if the virtual assistant doesn’t understand my brand voice or style?

Response: It takes time to immerse ourselves in a client’s brand and business before we can effectively recreate work in the client’s voice, but rest assured, a good VA won’t release anything online without your approval – you should have the final say! By providing detailed guidelines, examples and references, your VA will pick it up quickly.

 

Question:

How do I handle training and onboarding for a virtual assistant?

Answer: Gather any training materials you have such as Loom videos, written SOPs, and resources and share with your VA so they may familiarize themselves with your business processes, tools and expectations. Assign specific tasks or projects to help them develop their footing with your business and increase their responsibilities over time.

 

Concern:

What if the virtual assistant isn’t a good fit for my business?

Response: Start with a trial period or small project to evaluate performance and compatibility with your business. Discuss any concerns or issues openly and transparently, and be prepared to terminate the arrangement if necessary. Keep lines of communication open and continue searching for a virtual assistant who better aligns with your needs and expectations.

 

Addressing these questions and concerns proactively can help any business owner make informed decisions about hiring a virtual assistant and ensure a winning partnership!

Work with me, click here to get started: Book a free consultation call.

5 Reasons Life Coaches Should Hire a Virtual Assistant

5 Reasons Life Coaches Should Hire a Virtual Assistant

Hey, incredible life coach! 🌟 Juggling the coaching world isn’t just a job; it’s a lifestyle. You’re out there changing lives, but let’s face it – the behind-the-scenes stuff can be a bit overwhelming. That’s where I, your friendly virtual assistant, come in. Let’s dive into five reasons why partnering with a VA (like me!) can take your coaching game to the next level:

1. Cherish Your Time, Coach:

Time is your most valuable currency, right? I get it. As your virtual assistant, my mission is to free up your schedule from mundane tasks, so you can focus on what you do best – making a positive impact.

2. Social Media Shenanigans:

Social media is our playground, and I’m here to make it pop! Crafting engaging captions, and designing visuals – let’s turn your platforms into a community hub that reflects your coaching brilliance.

3. Newsletters with a Dash of Your Charm:

Newsletters are like love letters to your tribe. Let me take care of the crafting, formatting, and scheduling so your subscribers get that warm, fuzzy feeling every time they see your name in their inbox.

4. Blogging Brilliance:

Blogging isn’t just about words; it’s about connection. Together, we can create blog posts that resonate with your unique voice, establishing you as the go-to expert in your niche.

5. Admin Support Extraordinaire:

From scheduling to email management, think of me as your virtual sidekick, handling the nitty-gritty details while you focus on the big picture.

Your life coaching mission is too crucial to get bogged down in the admin chaos. Hiring a virtual assistant isn’t just a smart move; it’s an investment in the growth of your coaching journey. Let’s team up and make your coaching business shine even brighter!

Excited to take the next step? Let’s have a chat about how my support can align perfectly with your coaching style and business dreams. book a free consultation call.

Making Your Brand Shine: How I Spice Up Content for Awesome Female Lifestyle Coaches

Making Your Brand Shine: How I Spice Up Content for Awesome Female Lifestyle Coaches

Hey there, fellow go-getters! If you’re a female lifestyle coach looking to rock the online world, this post is for you. As your trusted virtual assistant specializing in supporting amazing women in the lifestyle coaching game, I’m about to share how I work magic to customize content that’s totally ‘you’.

Getting Your Brand Vibe

It’s like understanding the heartbeat of your brand. Before I even begin creating content, I explore your business website and social media channels to see what you’re already putting out there. I adopt the flavour of your current content, colours and words that speak your brand’s language.

Spicing Up Content for Real Connections

We’re not just slinging words or images; we’re brewing connections. For fabulous female lifestyle coaches like you, it’s all about connecting with your ideal clients, and letting them know you GET THEM. I’m all about creating content that hits home, whether it’s a killer caption or a visually stunning post that gets people talking.

Staying Fresh with Trends and What Clicks

The online world is full of noise and chaos, and I love sharing new ideas and tech with my clients. Flexibility is key, so I ensure your content stays fresh and speaks the language your audience understands.

Keeping Your Brand Song on Repeat

When it comes to brand recognition, consistency matters. Whether it’s on social media, newsletters, or your blog, I make sure your voice is always your voice. If I don’t get it right the first time, I’m always happy to make changes or have you tweak it so it’s perfect!

Wrapping it Up

Creating a standout brand for female lifestyle coaches, such as yourself, is all about mixing creativity with strategy. By personalizing your content, we’re telling your story in a way that grabs attention. As your virtual wingwoman, I’m all about crafting content that speaks your brand and aligns with your beliefs.

Ready to give your brand that extra sparkle? Get in touch: book a free consultation call, and let’s sprinkle some magic on your content to make it uniquely yours.

I work with several coaches and support them with all kinds of admin tasks. If you’d like to learn more, I invite you to book a free consultation call.

How to Get Started With a Virtual Assistant

How to Get Started With a Virtual Assistant

Congratulations – you’ve finally admitted that you need some help with your admin/social media/email marketing/website maintenance!

You’ve found a fabulous virtual assistant (bonus points if it’s ME!).

You’ve reviewed and signed the contract, paid your retainer and received a receipt for your payment.

NOW WHAT?

Well, I can’t speak for other VAs, but if you had your consultation call with me, I already have an idea of what you need help with, as this is one of the first things I ask on a call. In fact, I even go so far as to include those tasks IN the contract itself.

So now, it’s just a matter of getting organized, prioritizing and ticking things off your to-do list (even MORE bonus points if your to-do list is on Trello or a similar application).

 

Make a list, check it twice

I agree, it’s far too early for Christmas references, but I digress.

Having that list is not only going to help you keep track of what needs to be done but prioritizing the tasks on that list is going to help someone like me figure out what’s most important to YOU.

If you didn’t already know, I offer a free VA Delegation Worksheet, which you can download here. Spending a few days or a week with this beside you as you go about your day is going to help you figure out what you need or want help with most.

 

Share your passwords

I know, I know – this goes against everything you’ve been told: Never share your password with ANYONE.

Unfortunately, there is just no other way that someone like me can perform the tasks you need doing without log-in credentials.

There are many secure ways to transfer this sensitive information, especially when it comes to apps.

I personally use LastPass with my clients and love how easy it is to share this information. You will need to create a free account in order to benefit from using it, but once you’re set up and know what email address to share the info with, you’re all set!

Another secure way to share private information is 1ty.me – this is a great method for quickly sending information securely to another person – these are one-time, self-destructing notes that are sent via a short link to the intended recipient.

Lastly, your virtual assistant should take a few minutes and make sure he or she can log into your accounts. It’s preferable for the client to be online and available during this period, in case verification codes need to be sent quickly (as most have a very short time limit).

 

Set up a project management system

The best way to know what’s going on at any given moment in time is to set up and maintain a project management tool that both you and your VA can access.

This is PERFECT for teams in different time zones, too!

I use and love Trello – I use it for home management, as well – I love it THAT much!

In my experience, the ideal set-up for this tool is to have lists for:

  • Basic important information (contact details, release dates for newsletters or blog posts)
  • To-do
  • In Progress
  • Waiting on Approval
  • Done

It’s always wise to clean out the Done list somewhat regularly.

 

Communicate

This can be done any number of ways, and is totally up to the client, in my opinion.

I have clients who insist on using Zoom every week or every other week for face-to-face updates – this offers both parties an excellent opportunity to clarify and ask questions, and let’s not forget screen-sharing!

Some of my clients prefer email communication, in which case, screenshots of things come in super handy.

I also use WhatsApp with my clients, for all those short, quick bits of conversation.

And yet others prefer to use a mixture of all of the above!

 

I believe in making things as easy as possible for my clients, from booking a consultation call with me to taming the chaos.

How can I help you? Book a call with me right here, and let’s push your business forward.

Steps for Hosting a Virtual Event

Steps for Hosting a Virtual Event

I think it’s safe to say that I’ve always enjoyed planning events. From get-togethers with friends to my kids’ birthday parties and family barbecues, I’ve always felt a bit of a buzz. Many virtual assistants are admin-based and just love the planning stages – I am no exception. There’s something to be said about planning a virtual event: it’s just as fun!

I’ve been lucky enough to help with several virtual events that my clients have hosted and I’ve come up with a checklist (I offer a PDF version at the end of this post) that would be useful to anyone planning to host a virtual event of their own.

 

Planning Stages

 

Always choose the date of your virtual event and plan backwards, ensuring you have PLENTY of time for marketing your event (I’d say at LEAST two months, if possible).

How far in advance you need to start planning depends on the type of event you’re looking at hosting. If you are hosting a summit that may require a series of speakers on a particular subject, you will likely need to start at least 6 months prior, earlier if possible. Consider that research will need to be done on the speakers, sending out initial emails, follow-up emails, arranging virtual interviews to allow you to get to know one another beforehand, etc.

If you are including several speakers, you’ll need to write introduction emails and follow-up emails to send to them. Hiring a virtual assistant to assist with this huge task will save you TONS of time.

If you are holding a webinar or challenge, your job is much simpler, but it still requires a lot of moving parts:

  • Writing copy for and designing a sign-up/registration page
  • How attendees will be separated in your mailing list (tagged or own list?)
  • How attendees can report issues with the process
  • Writing and scheduling automated emails

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

 

Emails to Consider

 

We are operating on the assumption that you have an established email list going into this, and there will be several emails to send.

I’m sure at one time or another, you’ve signed up for a webinar or challenge, and you received several reminder emails in the process. Yours will be no different.

You will need an initial thank you/confirmation email (Thanks for signing up!), reminder emails, event details emails and feedback emails. Don’t worry, I list these in the PDF download included at the bottom of this post.

 

Event Materials

 

This largely consists of the promotional part of the project, which includes social media images and captions, developing an event-specific hashtag if possible, creating a workbook or free download for attendees to take notes, and creating an event agenda or guide, especially helpful for letting attendees know what’s in store.

The majority of these materials can be created in Canva, which allows for branding and downloading in many formats.

 

The Main Event

 

Some folks use StreamYard or Zoom for their events, regardless of where you’re hosting your event from, make sure you are able to record it. There will be several attendees that won’t show (it’s not a reflection of your event, or even you! Sometimes, unexpected things happen, or people expect there to be a recording because they know they can’t particpate live). Sending attendees a recording gives you another opportunity to connect and present your call-to-action – a crucial part.

 

After the Event

 

There are some housekeeping tasks, just like any in-person event. You may need to edit the recording before uploading it to a platform you can link to in your follow-up email.

Sending your attendees a survey after the event is a terrific way to gain feedback for future events. It helps to fine-tune your event. If your event was live, fixing any bugs will streamline future events, and allow you to possibly turn your event into a paid, evergreen course later on.

Pay close attention to the feedback you receive, it’s only going to make your next virtual event that much better.

 

Here’s a handy checklist for you to download, it contains all the steps above in an easy-to-digest format. Enjoy!

 

Hiring a virtual assistant to help with your virtual event will make it a complete breeze!  Book a free consultation call with me!